ED Refnr. 492594
• CASA VALE• Holiday cottages at the foot of the Transylvanian Carpathian Mountains
We offer 7 entirely different holiday homes in and around the shepherds village of Vale, directly at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. On the one hand, far away from the latest trends of time, on the other hand just around the corner from Sibiu, the European Capital of Culture 2007. A good choice for enthusiast of special places who want to add a pinch of Romanian serenity to their live experience.
The village is nestled between the wooded mountains overlooking the Transylvanian plain - in an absolutely peaceful spot with no through traffic. After a short walk you already find yourself in the oldest beech forest on the continent and will experience a unique flora and fauna on your way up to the mountain meadows. Alternatively, benefit from our central location in the heart of Romania and explore sights and trips in all directions.
We are no trained tourism experts. We live in Vale and have joined together in a small and family-type construction company,with which we have given the cottages a complete overhaul or built them from scratch. With attention to detail all along, with respect towards the traditional style of the area, as well as with a view to modern building materials and contemporary housing needs.
The result is an encounter of different ages and cultures in five oases of wellbeing, each of them with their own flair, distinctive and special in a place which – we hope – will be sidestepped by the world's hustle for a long time to come.
Our cottages at a glance:
• Villa Crina • our 200 sqm jewel • with 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, living room with kitchen & fireplace, terrace, garden • 8 sleeps.
• Casa Pelu • renovated country house with new attic • 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, eat-in kitchen, cozy roof terrace • 6 sleeps.
• Casa Nicu • 120-year-old cottage with the appropiate flair • large bedroom, kitchen, bath, courtyard terrace • 2 (to 3) sleeps.
• Villa Zollo • chalet on the hill • 3 rooms, 2 baths, balconies, living with kitchen & fireplace, terrace + garden • 6 (to 8) sleeps
• Casa Zollo II • cosy studio apartment • with kitchenette, bathroom, large terrace, and garden • 2 (to 3) sleeps.
• Casa Lopo • farmhouse cottage • with 2,5 bedrooms, eat-in-kitchen, bath, courtyard terrace, barn, garden •6 sleeps.
• Cozo Fantu • shepherds cottage in the mountain meadows • bedroom, kitchen, terrace, spring water, outhouse • 4 sleeps.
Each accommodation (except the shepherds hut) features a fully equipped self-catering kitchen, fast WiFi and TV with multi-language channels. The standard also includes a washing machine, central heating (tiled stove, gas heater, solar system) and at least one terrace or porch. The villas also offer spacious living rooms with fireplaces and gardens with parking and BBQ.
The pick-up from the Sibiu airport or train station is included, and on demand you can get a rental car with us or book a trip in a horse drawn cart into the mountains. Also available are farm products from the village (e.g. fresh milk, goat or sheep’s cheese, forest honey), and our cook conjures traditional menus fresh to the table with vegetables from the garden and meat from her own livestock.
We care for you as a team. In case of problems or questions you can always get in touch. Furthermore, we might have one or two tips at hand for you, but we also master the art of discreet retreat. We nurture a climate of openness and equality-based relationships.
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• VILLA CRINA •
This holiday home is the icing on the cake of the resort, with 200 sqm of living space and quality equipment for high demands. A good choice for lovers of details and those who enjoy a rustic ambience. We built this holiday home from scratch on the foundations of an abandoned farm’s barn. Now it offers spacious, light-flooded rooms.
You enter the house through the 50 sqm living room. It features oak parquet and is accessible from the courtyard or the garden side terrace. The living includes the kitchen, a wood burning fireplace, and seating for 18 people. A sanitary room with a washing machine, dryer and a toilet is also located on the mezzanine floor.
The fully equipped kitchen makes cooking a breeze. It contains a large fridge combo, dishwasher, gas stove, coffee maker, espresso machine, microwave, toaster, kettle, spices, and more. If you want to take a break, we will cook traditional menus or provide you with farm products from the village.
There is an outside and an inside staircase leading up to the four bright rooms (15 -18 sqm) in the attic. They are furnished with a double bed, private bathroom, TV set (Astra satellite), Wi-Fi internet access, and infrared panels. The view is relaxing: it goes up to the village church and over the lush green of forested mountains.
On arrival you’ll find the beds freshly made. Hand and bath towels, shower gel and soap are provided.
The living room opens onto a spacious south-facing terrace (30 sqm) with 20 seats. Stairs lead down from here to the enclosed garden, bordered by a creek. We laid out the garden in three terraces: on the top level, there is a stonewalled barbecue, a small lawn in the middle, and the bottom level accommodates up to three cars. The total garden area is grown with flowers, various fruit trees and wine.
The entire interior of the house was chosen with care and is fairly new, including kitchen and sanitation facilities, mattresses, and linen. All furniture, windows, doors and stairs where consistently made to measure.
The solar-assisted central heating is backed up threefold. Either you fire up the water-bearing fireplace in the living room, which supplies all the radiators in the house, or an automatic control takes over the job and starts a gas heater and / or the electrical infrared panels at no additional costs for you.
The accommodation lies in the sparsely built part of the village, facing towards wooded mountains. Leaving the garden behind and following the course of the creek, you already find yourself on your way up to the mountain meadows, surrounded by a healthy mixed forest.
• for up to 8 people
• Large living room with fireplace and eat-in kitchen
• 4 double rooms with WiFi and TV
• 4 bathrooms
• Sanitary room with washing machine, dryer and WC
• South-facing terrace
• Enclosed garden with BBQ and parking lot
• Minimum stay: 3 - 5 nights (seasonal)
• Discount from 15th day of stay
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We offer more than just accommodation
• Transfer from the Sibiu airport or railway station is included, and a reliable rental car is available directly from us.
• On request, our cook provides breakfast or swings the wooden spoon. She conjures traditional menus fresh to the table by appointment - each gram of meat a product of her own livestock farming. Vegetarian? No problem.
• Also available are farm products from the village, such as fresh milk, goat or sheep's cheese, forest honey and homemade jam, zakusca, pickled vegetables, wine and schnaps
• On request: baby cot, high chair, rides in a donkey cart for children, grocery shopping prior to your arrival.
• Tip: Excursion in a horse-drawn cart to the mountains. The tour can take a few hours or an entire day. On the way, you stop at a creek and Nicu (our Carpathian specialist) prepares a shepherd goulash in the kettle on the camp fire.
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The surroundings - Vale, Sibiu, Transylvania, Romania
The shepherds village of Vale is located close to the highway, but still in the middle of nowhere. A tarmac road touches on the village, but in large parts, cobblestone roads and dirt trails lead up into the wooded hills.
Traditional structures and straightforward hospitality still hold up in Vale. Horses, cows and goats continue being part of the village landscape, and the farmers take up their scythes and plant corn, potatoes and vegetables to preserve for the winter. The breath of the past can be felt in every nook and cranny here.
There is a small shop in Vale. The small town of Saliste 3 km away offers more shops, restaurants and a farmers market. Whatever is missing here can be found in Sibiu 20 km away at the Zibins market, in retail stores or supermarkets such as Real, Carrefour and Lidl.
Some say that Transylvania appears frozen in time. The culture seems to be stunningly alien, and nature is unique and untouched. Maybe you’ll sense the charm of the extraordinary, perceiving what life was like before it was leveled by the advance of civilization. Until then, have a look around. Take a break and treat yourself to a place where unspoiled nature meets history and traditions. Just make yourself comfortable on the hillside above the village, take a look in the vastness of the valley, and you will wonder about the thoughts popping into your mind out of nowhere .
A trip can take you an hour or a day. It can just take you up the hill slope above the village for a few glances into the vastness of the valley, or to the jumping fishes in the mountain lake of Gura Raului. Maybe you are interested in a Saxon fortified church, in the historic town center of Sibiu, or in a day trip across the Carpathians into the Wallachia on the other side. There are many options: here we propose a few examples.
The open-air Marmelada swimming pool is just across the hill 20 walking minutes away, and so is the first of five lakes in the valley. In 15 minutes you leave the village below you, passing dozens of hand-carved wooden sculptures in the Poiana Soarelui (sunny glade) on your ascent, to arrive at the mountain meadows and enjoy a unique view across the vastness of the Transylvanian Plain after less than
